Families tour Portland charter school

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- One of the four approved charter schools invited potential students and their parents to learn more about what they have to offer.

The Baxter Academy for Technology and Science held an open house tonight at its downtown Portland school. Students from a variety of towns learned what a typical school day at Baxter might look like, with small classes focused on science, technology, engineering, and math, with less focus on the humanities.

They were encouraged by the concept, but they know there are risks in leaving the traditional public school system.

"At King we work with a lot of robotics, and I'm really interested in math and science and I thought maybe checking this school out I could maybe further my math skills" Portland 8th grader Amanda Thomson said.

"Me personally, I'm really into math science and engineering, and I hear this is what this school's all about and I think that it would be the best fit for me," Portland 8thgrader NicholasGiaquintlsaid. "But I'm kind of concerned that it's a new school and I don't really know what the education's going to be like and how it's going to differ or not work."

Baxter is accepting applications for the fall of 2013 until March 1st. The school will select 160 students through a blind lottery on March 8th.